The new repre is fun, but the new system will probably put the great Barak on the back burner

Although the Czech national team was not trusted by the fans before the start of the Nations League due to the absence of several mainstays, the team is running like clockwork and has won four points from two matches. The reason for this is the new formation that Jaroslav Šilahvý tried out in the World Cup barrage against the Swedes and it seems that he will stick to it.

The 3-4-3 formation is commonly used in modern football, but it was surprising that a conservative coach of the Czech national team would resort to it. Already against the Swedes, the Czechs gave a solid performance, although it was not enough to advance.

The Czechs went into the Nations League in the same formation. And for strong opponents, the condensed back line, attentive wing-backs and dedicated central midfielders worked, especially with Jan Kuchta tirelessly battling for balls at the tip.

The new formation suited defender Jakub Brabec perfectly, who found himself in the centre of the three-man defence, the role of right wing-back suited the tenacious Vladimír Coufal, while Tomáš Souček and Michal Sadílek worked well together in midfield.

However, not every player likes the three-defender system. When we look at the list of absentees, the name of Antonín Barák stands out. An excellent footballer with an excellent last season, but where to put him?

Against the Swedes he got a chance on the right wing, but the new position did not suit him, on the contrary he was one of the worst on the pitch. He was bad at timing his runs and lacked space to use his strengths, eluding his teammates with accurate passes.

Simply put, there is no place for purely offensive midfielders in Jaroslav Šilhavy’s new system. Barak will either have to adapt to the new position or he will jump in from the bench when he needs to stir up the game and give it an idea.

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